Thales Leites vs. Nate Marquardt
The first round began and they touched gloves. Leites had a big wide stance and as Rogan commented, he looked ready to shoot. They circled. Leites narrowly missed a Superman punch. Leites missed a running knee. Leites switched his stance. Marquardt came forward with a nice combination. Leites landed a good combination and ate a few counters from Marquardt. They exchanged in close and Marquardt landed a good combo to the body. Leites dropped Marquardt with a big, beautiful fadeaway straight right hand out of nowhere and pounced into mount. Marquardt had the presence of mind to hip escape to half-guard but Leites got right back to mount. Marquardt was rolling and nearly gave his back but Leites retained the mount easily. Marquardt pushed it back to half-guard. Leites landed a good elbow. Leites passed to side control. Marquardt escaped to his feet and the crowd roared and whistled. Leites was throwing bombs, missing most of them. Marquardt landed a body shot and then a big right and they clinched. Marquardt landed a good knee to the body, and they broke. Marqaurdt landed an inside leg kick. Leites landed a spinning back kick. Marquardt landed a good combination in close, ending with an uppercut that rocked Leites and Leites went back and ate another combination but he kept backing up. Marquardt landed antother big right. Marquardt landed an inside leg kick and the first round ended. In his corner, Marquardt had a little bit of a mouse under his right (?) eye. The second round began and they touched gloves. Marquardt landed a combination to the body and then a big right. Leites landed a nice combination of his own and they clinched. Marquardt landed a nice knee to the body. Leites was warned for grabbing the fence. Marquardt's corner yelled for him to knee. Marquardt landed an elbow and they broke. Marquardt landed an excellent combination in close and they clinched again and Marquardt got the takedown. Marquardt landed an illegal knee to the face, right on the chin actually, while Leites was downed and the referee stopped the fight. Leites got up, rocked and he was stumbling toward Marquardt wildly, trying to continue the fight but the referee held him back. Leites was getting a moment to recover. The referee told Leites he had time to recover if he wanted to continue the fight. The referee brought the doctor in. Leites said he was fine, 100%. Herb Dean was concerned but he allowed them to continue. Leites was taking his time, he had five minutes. Herb Dean took a point away from Marquardt and then they touched gloves and continued. Marquardt landed a good combination, they clinched and Marquardt got the takedown into half-guard and landed some big shots from the top and then some elbows. The referee warned Marquardt for hitting the back of the head. Leites was bleeding everywhere. Marquardt was landing more big ground and pound, just being extremely aggressive and relentless. The nose of Leites was bloodied up badly. Marquardt landed another big elbow. Damn that's bleeding. Leites retained guard. Leites said 'He's got my glove' and Herb Dean warned Marquardt for grabbing inside the glove. Marquardt landed more big shots inside the guard and more big elbows, he stood over him. Marquardt came back into guard with a massive shot. Leites landed some good hammerfists from the bottom. Leites was coughing and choking, it sounded like he had blood in his throat, maybe he was actually bleeding from his mouth. Marquardt landed hammerfists and then elbows. Leites briefly tried a triangle. Marquardt landed more big shots. Damn, blood. Leites grabbed a rubber guard very briefly. Marquardt landed another elbow. Marquardt passed to half-guard. The referee finally stood them up. Leites's nose was gushing blood, possibly broken. Marquardt came for the takedown again and Leites reversed into mount and landed a few shots, Marquardt put him back in half-guard. The second round ended. Hell of a fight, I agree with Rogan. The third round began and they touched gloves. Marquart landed a body shot. Leites kept his hands up as Marquardt kept his hands down. Marquardt landed a nice body shot and a knee to the body. Leites landed a knee to the body but Marquardt got the takedown. Leites looked for an omoplata, Marquardt avoided, Leites tried atriangle, Marquardt escaped and Leites was turtled up but he had a leg. Marquardt landed some hammerfists and then some elbows to the back of the head and Herb Dean took a point away, but it was to the side of the head, as Marquardt and Rogan protested. They stood. Leites landed a jab. Marquardt landed a knee to the body. Marquardt landed a big right hand. Leites landed a big right hand as well. Marqaurdt landed a good double jab. Leites's nose was bleeding again. Marquardt got the takedown. Leites worked that rubber guard again very briefly. Leites tried a kimura from the bottom, let it go, landed a hammerfist to the back. He looked for that kimura again and ate a big hammerfist and another. Leites landed some elbows from the bottom, to the top of Marquardt's head. Leites was bleeding between the eyes as well, no one of his eyes really. Leites looked for that kimura again, diving deep. Marquardt escaped to half-guard. Leites was exhausted, he leaned back and took a huge breath. They were just sitting there. Big boos came. Marquardt landed more hammerfists in under. Leites was turtled up, they stood into the clinch, Marquardt screamed and pile-drived Leites onto his head and they broke and stood with Marquardt landing a knee to the face on the way out. They stood there across the Octagon and looked at each other. The third round ended and they hugged. Leites's face was messy as fuck. He got the win by split decision, 28-27 Leites, 28-27 Marquardt, 28-27 Leites by Cecil Peoples. Leites looked extremely happy by that. Leites said 'this guy is a fucking tough guy.'